ABSTRACT

This chapter provides a critical analysis of the application of the conceptual framework developed in the context of the African Regional Economic Communities (RECs) recognised by the African Union as the pillar upon which the African Economic Community is to be built. It considers the application of the various legal arrangements provided under North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA), the Common Market of the Southern Cone (MERCOSUR) and the Association of East Asian Nations (ASEAN), emphasizing their ability to promote regional development in the context of the African RECs. The chapter examines the various issues in the context of Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the East African Community (EAC). Protocols and conventions were intended to be the main means through which the ECOWAS Member States decided to implement the provisions of the Treaty. The provisions of the Treaty constituted the fundamental text and primary source of law for the Community.